Announcing Design Better’s New Experts in Residence
Irene Au, Kevin Bethune, and James Buckhouse bring new perspectives to Design Better.
Design Better’s Experts in Residence program is built to spotlight the voices shaping the future of design. Each cohort brings fresh perspectives on the topics that matter most to creative professionals today and deep expertise developed through decades of exceptional.
We’re excited to welcome our newest group of experts: Irene Au, James Buckhouse, and Kevin Bethune. You might already be familiar with this trio, as each has already been on the podcast. Irene Au was on episode 1 of Design Better. We spoke with Kevin Bethune about his book and his amazing career change from nuclear engineer to Air Jordan designer in episode 72. And we visited James Buckhouse at Sequoia Capital last year for a live AMA.
Irene, Kevin, and James have shaped how businesses build, how design operates at scale, and how creativity thrives inside technology and venture capital. While we’ll revisit those areas with them, they’re also eager to take us in new directions.
Together, they’ll explore topics like the role of beauty in design and life, the importance of the human touch in an increasingly automated world, and the evolving realities of AI in the creative process. All of this is super interesting.
This trio brings deep experience and a shared passion for pushing design into new territory. In the months ahead, you’ll see their essays in The Brief, join AMAs with them, and hear new conversations on the Design Better podcast.
We’re looking forward to learning from Irene, James, and Kevin—and sharing their work with you.
Irene Au
Irene has led design at some of the world’s most influential technology companies, including Google, Yahoo!, and Netscape. She built and scaled Google’s user experience practice, embedding design into the DNA of the company. Today, she’s a design partner at Khosla Ventures, where she advises startups on building teams and designing products that resonate with people. Irene also teaches yoga and writes about the intersections of mindfulness, creativity, and leadership.
Kevin Bethune
Kevin is the founder of dreams • design + life, a think tank delivering design and innovation services across industries. His career spans mechanical engineering at Westinghouse, business leadership at Nike, and design strategy at BCG Digital Ventures. Kevin’s work sits at the intersection of design, business, and technology, giving him a unique lens on how AI and other emerging tools are reshaping creative practice. He is also the author of Reimagining Design: Unlocking Strategic Innovation.
James Buckhouse
James brings a rare blend of storytelling, design, and strategy. He was formerly the head of design at Twitter and has also held leadership roles at Sequoia Capital and DreamWorks Animation. He’s as comfortable shaping product strategy as he is sketching storyboards, and he brings a sharp eye to how design can create meaning in both business and culture. James often explores the need for human connection in the age of automation, and the ways design can amplify empathy.